For any talent acquisition department, finding talent that others cannot is a huge advantage. One thing for sure is that the hundreds of tech companies that focus on finding talent using artificial intelligence want to pitch you every day. While some of these tools have serious promise, adoption will take time to figure out who to implement, measure, and report on.
Embrace the potential of social media influencers to attract super-passive candidates. This strategy, which some companies have already started to adopt, is not only effective but also relatively easy to implement. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, X, YouTube Shorts, LinkedIn, and Facebook are teaming with influencers who can professionally market your specific job openings, opening up a whole new avenue for talent acquisition.
Our side hustle with our partners in Orlando is owning a few bars. We use our bartenders not only as influencers to get customers to visit our establishments but also to have them post job openings. We don’t ever have to post jobs. Our bartenders have 300,000 followers of same-minded people, so you can see why this works very well on so many levels. We provide some of the content (graphics for jobs or events we are having) for the bartenders, but they post it in their own words.
If you are like most talented people I talk with, you need to figure out where to start. Here’s how you do it!
- Find influencers (brand ambassadors) who reside in your own company. Think about your best employees and ask them about their social media following and if they would be interested in posting a few times about the company and some specific jobs. The key is to make sure they love their job. If they agree, they can create their own video or content, talk about why they love working there, and let their followers know they should also consider it. The ROI will be fantastic if you get a few employees to be your influencers. Companies compensate employees as referrals or pay them a set amount for each social post. This is a great way to get the word out if you have some top employees who enjoy doing this!
- Find influencers who are experts in the jobs you need to fill. There is a social media influencer who is passionate about the expertise required to fill the job you have open. For example, if you need a claims adjuster, go to TikTok and find profiles with a big following. After you watch a few of their posts and see their style and interactions, reach out to them and see how they can incorporate your jobs and employment brand on their channel. So many of these influencers would jump at the chance and likely only have to pay a minimal amount. You do want to be able to approve any posts, but with most “real” influencers, they will do a fantastic job of this.
- Boost your job postings with the power of influencers. Sponsored job postings shared by influencers often include direct links to application pages, making it easy for interested followers to apply. The personal touch of the influencer can significantly increase the engagement and conversion rates, giving you the confidence that your job postings are reaching the right audience.
- Try a social media takeover. Influencers take over your company’s social media platforms, post content about the company, and highlight current job openings. This strategy leverages the influencer’s credibility and lets your social audience know you are serious about hiring. If all goes well, some of these posts on your social media channels may go viral since influencers have some amazing algorithm juice.